Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 42, Number 305, Decatur, Adams County, 27 December 1944 — Page 1

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■ Mji. No. 305.

KERMAN THRUST AT MEUSE RIVER HALTED

W Bombers Line Daytime lids On Tokyo 1 To 70 Os Huge atujfl Embers Stage Raid K Japanese Capital u ton. D-c 27 -<1 Pl .. , v U: . account*. resumed aerial bombardment of . ‘' 3^t ia d.yhght today, pr.-nurn-hitting the big Musa works in th.- westof the capital the fifth in strength inaugurated the second mounting B-29 oftenf n ,j nt t Japan from Saipan 1 .500 tons of bombs a>k»<ie<l on nie Japanese during the month endan average of 50 tons "" said 5o ' huge raiders participated of which 14. including were shot down. •; damaged. A German dispatch from Tokyo, r.tim.ited the number of '* had hid a respite from raids since flee. 3. lone It -’9s have dropped th.- city during weather flights in the War department an said only that the laimbed 'lndus I m the Tokyo area. of previous four raids dir«i<-d against the .Musa-*'-rk< among the most im ’ in Japan, and other tar chosen only when visiru poor Gen Heywood Hansell. Jr (g 21*t bomher command acknowledged in a ititcment yesterday that w tar at the Musashino Md la-en “inconclusive." other words." he said, "we a few buildings in the area and possibly interproduction inside the plan' did not knock it out." Japanese Dome! agency -29* dropped explosive laitnbe at scattered points Tokyo area shortly after (Tokyo time) today, but no effective damage" had k of the war results in (gainst the raiders by our ground resistance ar.- now Dome! said Tokyo broad, ust said Tokyo cheered and ap ■ when a It 29 broke ■ amid a cluster of ’ bursts and hurtled the ground. Japanese also claimed that had struck back at 1 Tu Png* Column 21 a mH — ’ Admiral Small In Hospital York Dec 87-Rear Ad 0 Small. to. one of heroes in the meth U>< dMtrucHon of the ssa-power |W»hich Japan hoped to protect died yesterday in hospital, It was revealed of death was not reHF*immediately He had been 1 " at Brooklyn Naval hos- ” o‘fnber 5 Rear Admiral 4- 1 f * nman< >‘‘r ot the Crul- ■*" la "“' City which played K" Mr,an ' part in turning back fleet mtent on attack positions on Guadal ■J?" fall of |»<2 He was the Navy Cross for heroW.‘ 'he battle off Havo island of Oct 1142 of that * o READING ■ thermometer ■ft 7-™. W By WEATHER jK ~' f in south and cen •” ow in extreme north ending over moat Mr t#Bl PM and in estremo WnH- *" Thuf (day. not so cold Mp, UH. * n< Portions to * 'hangs in temperature

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

Commissioners To Name Board Member The- appointment of a memlier of the Adams county ak-oholh- beveruge board will he mad'* by the county commissioners at th*| r January session. James Eibemon of this city ie now th.- appointee of the commissioners. The county council recently named Henry Dehner as a member. The The third local member is 1 Bernstein. named by Mayor John II Stubs. —— - —OLeaders Os Greece Factions In Confab Churchill Exhorts End To Civil War Athens, Dee. 27—(Up)—Greek factional leaders today resumed their peace conference called by Prime .Minister Winston Churchill under a semi-truce which KLAR armed forces broke by firing on warships and naval installations •t Piraeus. Exhorted by Churchill to cease their civil wur and establish a roalition government, the Greek delegates inel for the second session of the conference after an order to cease fire for 45 minutes along certain streets permitted BLAS representatives to enter central Athens. Churchill warned that if the rebels fail to come to terms, Britain will feel bound to aid Premier George Papandreou's government in "rescuing Athens from anarchy and the miserable conditions now prevailing." Authorities announced that 10 tniuutes after the beginning of the seml-tmce inc'dent to the conference yesterday. EDAS gutu hurled two 75-miilimeter shells into Piraeus. One landed near the navy house and the second in the harisir lietwern the house and a warship. Delegates of the revolutionist ELAB, the Greek government and other political factions adjourned their first session shortly before 10 o'clock last night after conferring for four and a half hours behind closed doors, apparently without reaching a decision Nt, announcement was made Churchill, British foreign secretary Anthony Eden. Marshal Sir Harohi It L. G. Alexander. British commander In the Mediterranean, Lt. Gen Ronald Scobie, British commantler in Athens, and other non-Oreeka Mt the cold, dimly-lit conference room after the preliminary speeches during the first tTurn To Page 5. Column it

Adams County Group Leaves For Service Jehovah Witness' Induction Delayed Nine Adams county men left Decatur thia morning for Camp Atterbury for induction into the nation's armed forces. The men will Ih> given final examinations before l»einit assigned to the various branches of service. Paul Eugene Hakes was leader of the contingent sent from the local selective service office. Other members of the group were: Eugene Edward Ixrshe. Rolland Leo Gill lorn. (Henn Dale Moaser. Francis Luther Pollock. Arnold Ray Roughia. James Arnold Barkley, Robert Otto Schiis and Fredrick Doyle Mathy*. the latter a transfer from Muncie Morton Wilson Teeple. a member of the Jehovah Witness sect, did not leave with today s group as scheduled. as his induction was postponed by national selective service headquarters at Washington. . - The local hoard classified Teeple in 1;A and he appealed his case to the district Imard of appeals at Fort Wayne, on the grounds that be was entitled to a IV-D classification. "due to the fact that he Is devoting his entire time as a pioneer and the company servant for the Jehovah Witness " The appeals board upheld the local board's decision and Teeple vu continued in LA. Teeple took the matter up with atate headQuarters which declined to intercede in hie behalf He then carried Ms ease to national heldquarters, which requested the local board to postpone induction until they reviewed Teeple e file.

United States Airmen Blast Luzon Targets Japanese Increase Aerial Opposition To American Planes Allied Headquarters, Dec. 27.— <I'P) -The Japanese were believed today to have rushed air reinforcements from their homeland to bolster the faltering defenses of .Manila. Gen. Douglas MacArthur's ultimate objective in the Philippines. American planes were meeting increasing aerial opposition in their almost daily attacks on target* In and around Manila, Some 50 fighters Intercepted an American raid on Clark Field Christmas Day. but escorting American fighters shot down at least 39. possibly 43. of them. The bag brought the toll of Japanese planes shot down in the Manila area to between 72 and KI in two days, while American losses for the 4K-hour period totalled six fighters. American Liberators fought their way through the enemy tighter screen and dropped 44 tons of homba on the Mabalacat runway al Clark Field on Christmas Day. The almost ceaseless round of attacks on the Manila area was believed designed to soften its defenses for an eventual American landing on lai gon. American fighter partlos also swept installations on Batangas airdrome in southern Luxon and a reconnaissance (Mane shot down an enemy transport plane off the west coakt. Japanese planes stabbed only lightly and ineffectively at American installations in southwest Min* doro. only 145 miles south of .Manila. Two raiders were shot down. On la*yte. 315 miles southwest iTurn T<> Page 2. Column 31

Urges Indiana War Plants Boost Output Increase Is Vital For War Theaters Indianapolis. Dec. 27 —(VP)— Maj. J W. Hume, army service forces officer for the Indianapolis area, called on war plants in central Indiana today to increase their output of do to SI mm. mortar and H»5 mm artillery ammunition by percent. The increase is necessary to meet tlte urgent demands of Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower for the European war theater and Gen. Douglas MacArthur In the Pacific area. Appeals for the step up were gent to the Bridgeport Brass ordnance plant, central distributing company and Grapho products company of Indianapolis; U. S. corporation at Lettanon; Kingston products corp. Kokomo; Dunean electric Mfg. company of Muncie, and Peerless of America. Marion. The war department war production board, the war manpower commitwion. the smaller war plants corporation, the Reconetrut lion finance corporation and other governmental agencies have developed plans for supplying manpower and plant facilities to insure the attainment of the new production schedules. Hume said. Appeal Issued For Additional Nurses Washlng'on. Dec. 27 - (t’-Pl— The Red Cross urged the public today to ration itself on nursing services and to insist that nurses who are classified "available" for military duty answer the army's call for "10.000 nurse* now." With the overseas nurse shortage growing more acute as liattle in* tensify, the army for the first time la sending hospital units abroad without nurses.. Os th’ 41.000 nurses now In service. 75 ;»er cent are oventa*. BULLETIN Washington, Dec. 27—(UP) The navy today identified as the 2,200 ten Cooper a destroyer recently announced ae loot off Ormoc. Leyte, and also announced the lose of a landing craft — the LSM-20 — In the same waters.

ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

Decatur, Indiana, Wednesday, December 27, 1944.

Inflated Trousers Are Pilot Aid HT~” - * i i Hral i J KNOWN AS THE G-SUIT, this anti-gravity device in the form of pneumatic pants prevents S. fighter pilots from blacking out in aerial maneuvers during dives and turns against the enemy Pressure is applied to the pilot't abdomen and legs during a pullout or turn, thus preventing the blood from pooling in the lower extremities and aiding the heart to maintain circulation to the brain. This is an official United States Army Air Forces photograph.

Jap Plane Carrier Sunk By Submarine 26 Other Japanese Vessels Destroyed Washington, Dec. 27 (i'P) — A large Japanese aircraft carrier and 2G other enemy vessels have been sunk by U. 8. submarines in their mount lug offensive against enemy sea power, secretary of navy James Forrestal announced today. These latest sinkings included seven enemy coniliat, ships in all. This latest haul raised to 10M the total of Japanese ships sunk, nrobably sunk, and damaged by the U. S. underseas fleet. Forrestal said that the total of U. S. submarine successes in the Pacific covers (he sinkings of more than 3,s<W.O<wi tons of Japanese shipping. Beside thy aircraft carrier, the other enemy combat ships sent to the Imttom recently wore a converted light cruiser, a destroyer, two destroyer transports and two escort vessels. The rest of the ships included two large transports, io medium cargo vessels, three small cargo ships, a small transport, two medium cargo transports and two medium tankers. Forrestal said that he could not now reveal any details concerning the Jap carrier that was sent to the Isittom by American torpedoes but he commented that this was (Turn To I’asi- 5, (Viluinn It

Capt. Field's Death Shatters Daughter's Dream Os Christmas

A four year old girl's dream of receiving a cowboy or Indian suit from her father in far-away India for a Christmas present was shattered with the tragic death of Captain Eugene Fields. In Burma on Nov. Iti. who had written to his daughter. Nancy Louise on Oct. 11 from Rangarh. India, that "whenever I do get to a place where I can buy on*., I’ll sure do it.” Capt. Field*, a popular Decatur dentist, who was called by the army as a reserve officer in August 1941, died of an accidental gun shot wound received along the Myitkyina-Humprabum road in Burma. India. Presumably he died enroute to a hospital or shortly after he had arrived there. Details of the tragedy have not yet been recived by the widow, Mrs. Margaret Fields of 413 Mercer avenue. In his letter to his daughter. Capt. Fields wrote affectionately to her and father-like, cautioned bar. "Be sweet, drink your orange Juieo. eat your eggs and vegetables tor mo Be a good little girl and every night say a prayer for Daddy, will you. so that Daddy

No Meeting This Week Os Decatur Rotarians The Decatur Rotary club will not hold it* regular meeting this week. dkipeiMin*: with Tliuisday' i meeting Iwt-ause of rhe holiday season Member* ot the international service committee and the board of director* will meet at the home of Lgo Kirwh. president, to complete plans for the seiies of leclurtw to be prf.iented here next mon'h. 1 o Surprise Drive By Germans In Italy Strike In Strength In Serchio Valley Rome, Dec. 27. —(UP) —The Germans have launched a surprise attack in the western sector of the fifth army front, striking in strength in the Serchio valley ana, 15 inlbw inland from the Ligurian coast, lieadqiiarters announced today. The attack, made in one of the few Italian front areas not blanketed by snow, was alined at the town of Gallleano. a half mile from the Serchio river. A communique said Americans were forced to withdraw from outposts to prepared position*. * The Germans also increased artillery fire in the central sector and plane* dropped antipersonnel bombs behind fifth army line* below • Turn Tn )*nge 2. Column 7|

■•a y . J 'I 1 ML*? kJB can hurry back to you. ’ Capt. Fields’ thought* were centered around Chriatmas and on what be eould get for hi* daughter "Daddy will try to arrange (Turn Tn Pag* J, Column »)

Americans Recapture Celles-Aerial Power Is Taking Heavy Toll

Violence Flares At Detroit Ward Store Smash Show Cases, Trample Merchandise — Detroit. Dec. 27.-IUP)—A crowd of alleged store workers' union members smashed show cases, overturned counter* and trampled merchandise displays at Montgomery Ward and Company’s Dearborn store today In an outbreak of violence which a labor leader charged was instigated by “imported strike breakers.” Two persons who. Dearborn police said, led an estimated 75 union members into the store and during a 15-mlnute rampage through Ita first floor aisles were arrested on charges of malicious destruction of property. Police identified the arrest* d ring-leaders as Stanley Bukowsky. 45. Detroit, and William E Smith. 32. Dearborn. Police said that neither had been a Ward employe, but that they were members of either the striking union or the United Automobile Workers union (CIO), which hue been actively supporting the Ward walkout. The store management said that no estimate of damage would be available until an inventory is taken. Kansas City Strike Kansas City. Mo. Dec 27 tUP) Picket lines were set up today at the Kansas City retail and mail order plants of Montgomery Ward and Company as workers went out in a strike which union officials described as a protest against "Sewell Avery's defiance of the war labor Itoat'd." Edward Chevlln. International representative of the CIO affiliated united retail, wholesale and department store workers of America, * *i*i.n. 'f* . *. ( *••1 >1 tli 11 11

Church To Receive Third Os Estate Methodist Church Is Given Bequest Through a provision in the will of the late Benjamin James Rice, the First Methodlot church of this city will receive a one-third share from the estate, Il was disclosed with the probating of the document in the Adams circuit court today. Mr. Rice, who was a retired freight agent for the Pennsylvania railroad, owned considerable real estate in this city. No estimate was filed on the value of Ills personal holdings and* real estate Henry B. Heller, attorney Os this city, who prepared the testament for Mr Rice, was named executor and given full authority to administer the estate, sell and dispose of the decedent's holdings at public or private sale and with out an order from the court. Heirs who also receive a onethird share of the estate are Mrs. Kathryn Mangold of this city, and a number of nieces and nephews, children of his deceased brothers and sisters. The will originally provided that Mr. Rice's two sisters. Mrs. Nancy J Smith and Mrs. Frances BrynSon, should share in the estate. If they survived him In that event one-ttfth division of the estate was to be made. Both sisters are deceased, so the estate is to be divided in shares of one-thir<L namely to the church. Mrs. Mangold and the nieces and nephews In addition to bequeathing oil and pastel paintings which were painted by his sister In-law,. Adella Neptune, to his nephew. Kenneth Neptune. Mr Rice slated, "I make no further bequest or devise to said Kenneth Neptune for the reason that prior to th* death of my wife, Ella Rice, she and I executed a deed of conveyance conveying certain properties in • Turn Tn Psg* 5. Column !»

Russian Tanks, Troops Storm Into Budapest German, Hungarian Defenders Offering Bitter Resistance Moscow. Dec. 27. (I'Pl Red army tank* and shot k troops stormed through tile streets of Budapest today and cut their way slowly toward the center of the city in the face of bitter resistance from the cornered German and Hungarian garrison. Cut off from all outside help ami split into two shell torn pockets, the Axis defenders were falling back into downtown Buda for a I death stand that threaten'd to bring the once-beautlful Donublan lapitaJ down in ruins Two Soviet spearhead* were less than three miles from the Hungarian royal palace on the west bank of the Danube early today and field dis|>alches said long columns of men and armor were streaming into the city from the north, west and south to bring the seven-week siege to a triumphant close. tGerman broadcasts said other Russian forces on the east bank of the Danube had launched a supporting attack on the capital from that side, and admitted some ''lnfiltration" of the Axis defenses.) Nine suburban communities girdling the western half of Budapest fell to the onrushing Red army yesterday. completing the isloation of thousands of Nazi and Hungarian troorm in a ISO-aquare mile pocket comprising the capital itself and its east bank district*. Just northwest of the capital, a second big Axis force was cut off in the Pilis hill* when the Russian* swept across the northern edge of Budapest to the Danube while another column captured the Baxtergom river crossing 19 miles Io th«- > northwest. From re|H>rls said the garrison inside Buda, most of them tough Nazi elite guaid* sworn to make the city another Stalingrad, were (Turn To Hugi- 2. I'oliiiiin •>(

Indiana Is In Grip Os Wintry Weather Fort Wayne Reports Coldest In Indiana By Vnited Press Wintry weather clamj>ed down on Indiana today and piled up anow varying from two Inches in the central part of the Mate Io six inches in the north The coldest weather Watt re|H>rted In the northeast. with Fort Wayne having a low of (our degrees below zero, the Indianajwdix weather bureau said Snow flurries occurred during the early morning, changing to freezing rain, hut the ground wax hare along the Ohio river in the far southern part of the state. Precipitation was light. Rain freezing to windshields interfered with motor traffic and roads were hazardous with packed snow anti an icy glaze, according to state Judice A state police summary of road conditions said that motoring was dangerous aa far south ax IT. S. highway M. where rain froze to the pavement In central Indiana, highways were very slick with two inches of wet snow and sleet. The snow mostly was dry in the Laporte area hut there were a few alit k spots. Old Ice clung to roads in the Fort Wayne aector. The weather bureau said that temperatures were to remain unchanged until tomorrow, with light snow ehanging to freezing tain both in the north and south.

Buy War Savings Bonds And Stamps

Price Four Cents

Powerful American Force Holding Out In Bastogne Desoite Heavy Nazi Attacks Faris. Dec. 27 —(l'J»> American force* today ja-bbed the Nazis to a halt four mli<* east of ths- MeuM. recapturing the town of Celle* and front report said the American drive into the southern flank of tfce German salient was "making excellent headway" No notable change* of position were reported, but the Germans were still probing and punching along the north flank of th"ir (salient from Stavelot to .Marche, apparently hunting a s«»ft spot where they could renew their northwestward thrust toward Liege and Namur. The weather was again bright and clear, allowing the American air power to turn out in force, and take a deadly toll of German armor and transport. The first Allied airborne army announced that hundred* of tons of supplies, mostly ammunition, have tieen dropped to ih* powerful American force holding out a’ Baa tog!ne. a Belgian highway center, which hae been under German at'ack* for a week. Paratroops were landed first in the area to mark out landing zones, then the supplies were rained down No spciflc report was released on tile progress of the strong American relief column which has nar ■ towed the gap that eeperats-s them from Bastogne to less than five I mile* However. John M< Dermott, j I'nited Press war correspondent with the American first army reported that "at least three town* have been taken by the American*" In this vicinity In the northers fiiwt army area, he reported, al I least on* town was recaptuied fr<»ni the Germans. Two night armored engagements were fought in tile vicinity of Cel-It-s, which Iles four miles ea*t of the Meuse and du* east of Dinant In one of these battles the American* knocked nut 12 Gentian tanks and two self-propelled guns and at another seven .Ma.-s's, one Mar-4, three halftracks, three armored ears, ten trucks and two antitank guns Evidence of* German supply difficulties in the Celle* area, their point of deepest penetration atltou* 50 miles from the Belgian frontier, was uncovered Almiui a dozen tanks and self-pro-pelled guns were found abandoned by the Germans liecause they had run out of gasoline. Five more, also cut of gasoline, were found e|*et'i'urn Tu Page 5, Column 3> o War Correspondent Killed In Europe <EI Centro. Calif. Dec 27—Jack Frankish. 30. a I'nited Press war correspondent, was killed Saturday on the Western Front, the wur department informed hZ widow, Mrs. Barbara Frankish No details were given., Frankish, a veteran of 10 years with the I'nited Press, went abroad last spring to help cover (he Allied Invasion of Europe He wa* the second I'nited Press war correspondent lost in a little mors than a month John Andrew failed to return from a superfortress mission in southeast .Vila early in Novemilier and Lhe fifth to die in war coverage. Two others are prisonets of war.

Buys Health Bond Business and Professional Women's club has hot>d purchase <jf a 15 health bond, officials of tho fthelaiiMMa a. 8

Christmas seal campaign in Ad* ams county an* nounced today. All proceeds from the annual Christ* max seal salea are used in the flght o n tuberculoeia and to provide free clinics and otherwise carry on the light a*

Rvstsst Y*«r Tugikcuiom MffaffM CMhMi Mb

gainst the "white plague.*"